Track questions...

[agnes]

I am bored having my Ducati 748 on the road... It's not as much fun with all the idiots about these days.

I am wondering, has anyone just given up riding on the roads and transferred to tracks only?

How much does it cost you a year?
Is it as much 'fun'?
What type of insurance and how much?
Ect ect...

Would be nice to know

Thanks

 

[duc999]

I'm converting the 1098S to a track only bike as we speak

As for cost its as much as you can afford really. I do european track days mostly as the UK ones are getting a bit silly regarding stupid rules , costs and numbers.

I guess the most important thing is actually getting your bike to the track to begin with. Trust me you don't want to be riding it there. Then theres tyres, fuel etc to take with you. Let people know you are going and see if you can share transport costs.

So you'll need to prep the bike first , there are plenty of aftermarket fairing places, including ebay, if you don't want to chance it with the originals. Get a set with a one piece belly pan if you can and some kevlar protection for the engine casings, crash bungs etc.You can get really anal about weight saving measures but until your skill requires it I wouldn't bother.

Then theres the noise issue , Termi's are a no no in the UK So fit your DB killers !

In Jerez on full chat down the straight thats a different issue

Is it fun , hell yes

You'll be lucky to get any track insurance or pay a fortune. Lots of the guys will help out in the event of an off.

Lots more to tell if you are still interested.

 

[Dureth]

As has been said you'l need transport there and back so either a bike trailer or van.

To prep the bike for track use I'd say a minimum needed for a 748 would be track bodywork, remove all the road gear, new brake pads, brake lines (if not already replaced), chain and sprockets with shorter gearing and sporty tyres. A race fairing can protect a bike quite well if you throw it up the road (and can then be repaired with glass fibre repair kits. You might want to consider getting some crash bungs though, they do work quite well but are more use in slow speed offs as a fast crash will shred them in seconds.

If you want to have fun in all weather then consider a 2nd set of wheels and some dedicated wet tyres. Grip like a normal tyre in the rain, amazing!

Each trackday will cost you the travel fuel there and back (anything up to £100 depending on distance), trackday price (£100-£200), 1-2 tanks of fuel for the bike (£15-30), food (£5-20). The tyres will normally last between 2 and 4 trackdays depending on your riding style and suspension setup. The Ducati is quite good on tyres so a pair of slicks or track orientated road legal tyres should last a few days. Tyres will cost £250-300 a pair.

Insurance wise nothing reasonable will cover you on track however you can get race bike insurance for fire/theft/accidental at home and in transit for around £100-£150 a year. This can also cover your spares, equipment, tools and trailer for around the £200 mark.